Water-closet.



W. A. RATCUFFE.

WATER CLOSET. APPLlCATlON FILED ocT. H 1914.

Patented Apr. 11, 1916.

WILLIAM A. B-ATGLIFFE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

WATER-CLOSET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 11, 191 6.

Original application filed April 25, 1910, Serial N 0. 557,347. Divided and this application filed. October 14,

1914. Serial No. 866,562. i

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. RAT- CLIFFE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Water Closets, of which the following (a division of my application, Patent No. 1,117,089, dated November 10, 1914,) is a specification.

The main objects of the present invention are to provide a water closet wherein the wator for flushing the closet is supplied at the side of the closet, and not at the back or top, as in ordinary constructions; to provide a structure wherein the siphon jet can come into action before the jets of the Wash-down rim; to provide a construction eliminating in large measure the gurgling sound ordinarily found in closets having a top inlet, wherein the sound arises from the splashing of water in the large air chamber forming the intake of the closet; to provide a construction relatively compact and adapted to be placed with its back directly against the wall; and to provide a closet bowlpermitting a special arrangement of the flushing valve whereby the valve is placed in convenient position for operation and can deliver water to the intake of the closet substantially unmixed with air and at a level only slightly above the normal level of the water in the bowl of the closet.

A specific embodiment of this invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view of the closet and its flushing valve. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the closet showing in dotted lines the intake conduit located at the side of the closet and adapted to receive water from the flushing valve, and to deliver water to the siphon jet and to the hollow upper rim. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section of the valve and the water intake showing the direct passage afforded for water from the valve to the intake.

In the construction shown, the water closet comprises a vitreous bowl 1 of ordinary shape, provided with a siphonic outlet conduit 2 of usual form. Above the bowl is a hollow rim 3 having jet openings 4 for delivering water to wash down the sides of the bowl. The channel of the hollow rim communicates with a chamber 5 located above the upper bend of the siphonic outlet. At the inner end of the siphonic tube is a jet orifice or siphon jet 6, communicating with a chamber 7 of irregular shape, located between the two legs of the siphonic conduit. At the side of the closet, and integral with the bowl and its outlet conduit, is an intake conduit 9, opening at its lower end into chamber 7, and communicating at its upper end with chamber 5. Through this intake conduit, water is delivered to the siphon jet 6, and also to the jets of the hollow rim 3. The inlet 10 of the intake conduit is located in the side of the conduit, and opens laterally, and is located only slightly above the normal level of water in the bowl. Connected to the intake is a coupling or connector 11 of short length, arranged horizontallyand connected at its outer end to a flushing valve 12. f

The flushing valve 12 is located at the side of the water closet in position forconvenient operation, and is adapted to deliver water directly through the short horizontal connector 11 into the inlet conduit 9 and substantially unmixed with air.

The flushing valve may be of the general type shown in detail in the United States patent to Brooks N 0. 876,518, issued January 14, 1908, though it is to'be understood that the details of the valve may be varied without departing from the spirit of my invention as herein set forth and claimed.

In the construction shown, the flushing valve 12 comprises a valve casing having at its lower end a tubular inlet 13 with a suitable turn valve 14. The valve casing also has a tubular outlet 15, to which the .con nector 11 is coupled. l/Vithin the valve casing and located just below the lower edge of the outlet is a transverse partition or annular ledge 16, supporting a valve seat. Cooperating with this seat, is a valve plunger or piston 17 having a head, 18, cooperating with the valve seat 16 to hold the supply of water in check until its release is desired. The piston also carries a head 19, which, when in raised position, engages at its periphery with a depending frame 20 carried at the top of the valve casing. The valve plunger can be manually depressed by a vertical push rod 21 which extends upward through a casing 22, and terminates in a button or knob 23. Within the casing 22 are the elements for timing the operation of the valve, but these may vary in detail, and need not be described here.

The closet construction shown is somewhat shorter from front to back than many siphon jet closets, and has the advantage that it may be placed with its back directly against the wall of the room. If, for any reason, it becomes necessary to detach the flushing valve, this may be done without drawing the water seal from the bowl. Furthermore, if for any reason the supply of water should fail, there is no danger that an inadvertent opening of the flushing valve will cause water from the bowl to be siphoned back into the water mains of the house, as would be th case if the intake inlet were located below the normal water level of the bowl.

The operation of the structure above described is as follows: With water pressure on the valve, and water at normal level in the bowl, the depression of the vertical push rod and the consequent unseating of the valve plunger allows water to enter the valve and to then rush across through the short horizontal connector 11 and into the intake conduit 9. The water enters the intake conduit just above the level of the water then in the conduit, and then rises through the upper leg of the conduit into the chamber 5 and into the hollow rim 3. It does this without mixing with the air initially contained in these channels. Whatever air may have been initially in the valve casing and the short connector 11 is forced forward ahead of the water and passes upward into the chamber 5 and out through rim 3. The total absence of any air trap, and the direct delivery of the water into the intake conduit just above the level of the water normally standing in the conduit eliminates in a large measure the gurgling and splashing sound ordinarily experienced with other closets wherein the water is delivered to chamber 5 at its top or rear. While the water is rising into chamber 5 and expelling the air therefrom, the increased pressure starts the siphon jet 6 and begins the movement of the soil backward up to the siphon conduit. The siphon jet is well in action before the wash-down jets 4 begin to deliver water to the bowl. This eliminates the churning action in the bowl sometimes found in closets wherein the inlet is so positioned that the hollow rim comes into play before the siphon jet. The action of the siphon jet is practically instantaneous, and the water in the bowl begins to recede before the washing water from jets A has a chance to raise the water level in the bowl.

What I claim is:

1. A vitreous water closet havin a bowl and a siphonic outlet conduit leading from said bowl, said conduit having a jet inlet for projecting water upward along the leg of the siphon nearest said bowl, a water chamber between the legs of said siphonic conduit and leading to said jet inlet, a hollow rim encircling said bowl with jet openings for wash down water, and an intake conduit integral with said bowl and communicating directly upward with said hollow rim, said intake conduit extending downward along said bowl on the outside of said siphonic conduit and communicating with the said water chamber, said intake conduit having an inlet which opens laterally at the side of said bowl and at a level only slightly above that of water normally standing in said bowl.

2. A vitreous water closet having a bowl and a siphonic outlet conduit at the back of said bowl, a hollow rim for said bowl with jet openings for water, a water chamber between the legs of said siphonic conduit and having a jet opening for projecting water upward along the siphonic conduit, and an intake conduit integral with said bowl and having a passage communicating with said hollow rim, said intake conduit extending downward along said bowl and merging therein at the side of saidsiphonic conduit above the bottom of said water chamber and having an inlet which opens laterally and is located below the passage which communicates with said hollow rim and above the level of water normally standing in said bowl.

3. A vitreous water closet having a bowl and a siphonic outlet conduit, a jet orifice for projecting water upward along the leg of said siphonic conduit nearest said bowl, and an intake conduit integral with said bowl and extending downwardly along the side of the up-leg of said siphonic conduit, and merging with said bowl said intake conduit having communication with said jet orifice, and having a passage leading upward to said hollow rim and also having an inlet which opens laterally at the side of said siphonic conduit, below said hollow rim passage and at a level only slightly above that of water normally standing in said bowl.

4. In a water closet, the combination of a bowl, a hollow rim encircling said bowl and having jet openings for water, a siphonic conduit leading from said bowl, a jet orifice adapted to project water upward along said conduit, and an intake conduit integral with said bowl and lying outside of the up leg of said siphonic conduit and having an inlet which opens laterally at the side of said closet below said hollow rim and above the level of water normally standing in said bowl, said intake conduit being arranged with a passage to convey water directly upward from said intake to said hollow rim and also downward to said jet orifice.

5. In a water closet, the combination of a bowl, a hollow rim encircling said bowl, a siphonic conduit symmetrically positioned directly back of said bowl, a jet orifice arranged to project water upward directly along said siphonic conduit, and an intake conduit integral with said bowl and extending diagonally downward across the up-leg of said siphonic conduit and outside thereof, and having a supply passage for said rim, said intake conduit having an inlet opening in its side arranged to receive a laterally extending pipe, said opening being located a little above the level of the water normally held in said bowl and below the said supply passage for the hollow rim.

6. In a water closet, the combination of a bowl, a hollow rim above said bowl having jet openings for water to wash down the sides of the bowl, a discharge conduit leading upward from the bottom of said bowl, a jet orifice arranged to project water upward along said conduit, and an intake conduit integral with said bowl and extending downwardly along said discharge conduit and outside thereof, with a supply passage leading upward to said hollow rim said intake conduit having an inlet which opens laterally at the side of said bowl and at a level below the said supply passage of said hollow rim and only slightly above the level of water normally standing in said bowl.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM A. RATCLIFFE. Witnesses:

Ross W. DUNN, FELEOIE STREYCKMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington. D. 0. 

